See this dialog response. On early keyboards without a key (before the introduction of 101/102-key keyboards) the Pause function was assigned to , and the Break function to ; these key-combinations still work with most programs, even on modern PCs with modern keyboards. What came before?
A dialog between 2 people: + What was the Break key on the BBC Micro? + Because of the BBC Micro's near universal usage in British schools, later versions of the machine incorporated a physical lock on the Break key to stop children from intentionally resetting the computer. + What are the uses of the break key? + On many modern PCs, interrupts screen output by BIOS until another key is pressed. + What else can you tell me about the uses of the break key? + This is effective during boot in text mode and in a DOS box in Windows safe mode with 50 lines. + Do you know what else is interesting about the break key? + 